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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23020831">Big Brother Instinct</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/OllieCollie/pseuds/OllieCollie'>OllieCollie</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>SEAL Team (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Brothers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Instinct, Team as Family</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 12:07:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,402</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23020831</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/OllieCollie/pseuds/OllieCollie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>While en route to Iran, Jason reflects on the hardships Bravo's youngest team member has been through.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>113</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Big Brother Instinct</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey guys! I'm finally back with another fic! Trust me, I've been wanting to write/post for a while, but I haven't had any solid story plots—so requests/ideas are welcome (preferably including whump and brotherly awesomeness). ;)</p><p>Just a little one-shot; I hope y'all enjoy! Drop a comment and let me know your thoughts (or requests for future fics)! Thank ya!</p><p>*Set at the beginning of season 3</p><p>Standard disclaimers apply.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Years of training had honed his senses quite well, to a level nearly unknown to man. It was fascinating, really, the capabilities of the human body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But there was one thing that Jason Hayes trusted more than any of his five senses. It was his gut. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That little niggling feeling in the pit of his stomach, the voice in the back of his head—that just </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> certain things. Jason had learned long ago to trust that gut feeling. It had proven itself time and again—particularly when it concerned one of his brothers. Ray liked to call it his "big brother instinct." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whatever it was, right now, it was sending warning sirens, alerting Jace to the fact that one of his boys needed him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was odd, really, because they were all currently within several yards of him. Bravo was on their way to Iran for what was shaping up to be a tough hostage retrieval. Maybe it was just a bad feeling about the op, Jason wasn't sure. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He cracked an eye open, scanning the plane for each of the guys. Brock was off to the left, Cerberus snuggled up next to him as they snored lightly. Sonny was in the hammock next to Jason, snoring </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span>-so-lightly. Ray and Trent, too, were in their respective hammocks. A few people milled around quietly in the back—Blackburn and Lisa and Mandy—but otherwise, all was quiet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then Jason spotted Clay.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The kid was sitting on the far end of the plane, one leg propped up on the seats that lined the interior of the C-17, the other stretched out in front of him. He was staring straight ahead, but his gaze was distant. Even from Jason's position in his hammock, Bravo One could make out the dark circles under the kid's eyes—something more than just exhaustion from preparing for the op.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason studied the youngest Bravo member for a minute. It hadn't been long since Clay had rejoined the team after his injuries from the bombing in Manila. There was no question about it—physically, Clay was back to one hundred percent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But emotionally…the kid had suffered through a lot in the past few months—heck, the past two </span>
  <em>
    <span>years</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He'd lost his friend—the Armstrong kid—during training. Although outwardly displaying a hint of indifference and even borderline coldness about Clay's loss at the time, Jace did feel for him. Losing a brother was never, ever an easy thing, especially the way Brian had gone. As a SEAL, however, the death of teammates was something they needed to learn to live through. It was just how it went.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then there was the whole girlfriend situation with Stella going and dumping Clay right before deployment—despite the fact that she'd had good intentions, she wasn't prepared to back up any of her promises. Jason didn't exactly blame her—life as a SEAL wife was not an easy one—but he did wish she would have realized that </span>
  <em>
    <span>before </span>
  </em>
  <span>she'd gone and stolen Clay's heart and made a dozen promises she never would keep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, then Manila happened. Jason nearly shuddered as the memories came pouring in at full force. He remembered the explosion, the smoke, the fear smoldering in the thick smoky air…he could picture the ambulance ride, doing his best to reassure the injured Bravo Six—and himself—that everything would be okay. There were many sights and sounds from over the years that were seared into Jason's memory. Manila was one of those experiences. Jason would never forget the sound of Clay's pained whimpers or the sight of his pale face and closed eyes as they'd rushed to the hospital.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Bravo team leader sucked in a breath. He was barely getting started, because not only had Clay been through Brian's death and Adam's death—one that from what he'd heard, had clearly shaken Clay to the core—he'd been all alone to go through the loss of Swanny. Jason hated the thought. It had been bad enough that Bravo hadn't been back stateside to be with the kid through his recovery. Then to lose the man he'd once looked up to—to find out that yeah, Swanny was only human like the rest of them…well, it probably hurt. A lot. Jace knew Clay blamed himself for the vet's untimely death—just like he'd blamed himself for Adam's death. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason sighed, watching his younger teammate for a moment more before pushing to his feet and making his way over. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If Clay heard his team leader approach, he didn't acknowledge it. Jace eased himself into the seat next to the kid and waited a moment before speaking, his voice low. "How's the leg?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blond head dipped in a nod. "Leg's good, man."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah?" Jason shifted, jumping right in. "What about your head?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clay shot a quizzical look in Jason's direction, dropping his propped up leg to the floor as he turned. "My head?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's what I said. Your head, you got it on straight?" Jason knew the kid had been through a hell of a lot in the past few months. The world just couldn't seem to let him alone. Jason felt for his team's youngest member. He knew what loss felt like all too well; he'd lost countless brothers and teammates—not to mention Alana. The pain still burned deep every time he thought about her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"My head's fine, Jace." Clay looked somewhat guarded now, as if he thought he was being doubted. "The doc said I'm good to go and if you think I—"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Woah. Slow down there, kiddo." Jason held up a calming hand. "I'm not saying you're not ready. I'm just checking in on you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clay inhaled deeply, craned his neck. "Well, I appreciate it, Boss, but I'm good."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Uh-huh." Jason paused for a moment, rubbing a hand across his jaw as he carefully put together his next words. "SEALs are people, too, Clay. There's no shame in that." He reached over and tapped Clay on the chest with two fingers. "I know you think you're Mr. Tough Guy—invincible and all that…but news flash—you're not. None of us are." He knew he wasn't one to talk, not with the way he kept his own emotions pent up inside all the time. But the kid needed to hear it, so Jason was gonna say it, despite how hypocritical it may have sounded coming out of his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A small smirk found its way onto Clay's face, and he let out a sigh. "Yeah, not invincible. Got it."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You also need to stop piling guilt on yourself."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clay stiffened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Come on, man, you think we don't see it? After Adam, and then Swanny." Jason shook his head. "You can't do it, Clay. You gotta get past it. You keep on dwelling on that, it's gonna mess you up."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clay's mouth opened and then closed again, as if deciding against arguing back. He shot the older man a squinty glance instead. "You sure that's you talking, Jace?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason rolled his eyes. It was true, the whole "talking feelings" thing was more of Ray's forte, but his second-in-command had mentioned that maybe Clay needed to hear from the team leader. "You just gonna insult me, huh? That's how it's gonna go?" He landed a light punch on the kid's shoulder, somewhat glad to be out of the touchy-feely territory and hoping he got his point across.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clay ducked away to shield himself, a small grin appearing on his face. "Well, to start with, you punch like an old man—which I mean, makes sense, considering—" He clamped his mouth shut when he received a glare from the other man, but didn't bother hiding his smirk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason shook his head and pushed to his feet. "All right, all right, get some sleep. Long night ahead." He leaned over and gripped the younger man's shoulder in a comforting, brotherly squeeze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason could only hope, as he made his way back to his hammock, that his words at least somewhat managed to stick with Clay. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The good news was that the thrum in his gut had settled down, so he supposed he'd said what needed to be said. The kid would be okay. And the team would watch out for him, just like they always did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because family looked out for each other.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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